Apparatus for false-twisting textile threads



March 14, 1967 F. STAHLECKER 3,308,614

APPARATUS FOR FALSE-TWISTING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Fen-z smuuacxee,

ATTORNEKQ March 14, 1967 STAHLECKER 3,308,614

APPARATUS FOR FALSE-TWISTING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

INVENTOR Fe/Tz 877114450451 ATTORNEYS March 14,1967 F. STAHLECKER3,308,614

APPARATUS FOR' FALSE-TWISTING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5

52 H a 52b 2b INVENTOR E/"r1. STHHLECKEZ.

BY 4 1A) 447 ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 STAHLECKER 3,308,614

APPARATUS FOR FALSE-TWISTING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 4Shegts-Sheet 4 Fig.7

INVENTOR F 21 TZ. STRHLECK ATTORNEYS 3,308,614 APPARATUS FORFALSE-TWISTING TEXTILE THREADS Fritz Stahlecker, Uhlandstrasse 18, BadUbcrkingen, Wurttemberg, Germany Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 529,145Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 22, 1965, S 95,590, S 95,59110 Claims. (Cl. 57-77.45)

The present invention relates to an apparatus for falsetwistingindividual textile threads by means of twisting elements, especiallyfalse-twisting tubes, which are adapted to rotate at an extremely highspeed and are pressed against driving surfaces of a rotary drivingelement merely by the magnetic attraction which is produced by holdingmagnets, and which are held by these magnets in engagement with thisdriving element and in a fixed position relative to these magnets sothat these false-twisting tubes are prevented from shifting intangential directions on the driving element.

In such apparatus for false-twisting individual textile threads by meansof false-twisting tubes it is well-known to employ cup-shaped drivingelements and to produce the necessary contact pressure between thefalse-twitsing tubes and the driving elements for driving these tubes bymeans of holding magnets. However, these driving elements have certaindisadvantages insofar as their stability and quietness of operation isconcernedif the false-twisting tubes are to :be driven by them at a veryhigh speed, for example, of 400,000 to 600,000 r.p.m. as required inmodern production.

Other known apparatus of this type are provided with at least onedriving element with two parallel rollershaped disks. If theseapparatuses are operated at the high speeds as mentioned above or ifseveral false-twisting tubes are to be driven by the same drivingelement, the following disadvantages occur. Because of their largediameter these driving elements are relatively heavy and it is alsoextremely difficult to make the two disks of exactly the same diameterandlto insure that they will run exactly true. It is impossible to makethe axial distance between the magnets or pole pieces and the drivingdisks as small as required for insuring that the false-twisting tubewill run exactly true. A very small continuous gap would then extendalong the entire area between the magnets and driving disks, and thisgap would collect dust or fly and also produce an accumulation of heat.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forfalse-twisting individual textile threads in which the driving elementis capable of running as stable and true as required for driving thefalse-twisting tube at very high speeds, even if the driving surfacesare required to have a relatively large diameter.

This object is attained according to the present invention by providingthe rotary driving element in the form of a drive wheel in which theconnecting web between the hub and outer rim of the wheel is disposedsubstantially centrally of the width of the rim, and by mounting theholding magnets at both sides of this web. According to one preferredembodiment of the invention, the holding, magnets are provided with polepieces which are located axially adjacent to the driving surfaces of thedrive wheel and are adapted to act directly upon the falsetwistingtubes. A very compact construction may then be attained by providing theholding magnets with at least two pole .pieces which are respectivelylocated above and below the driving surface of the drive pulley and eachof which is associated with a separate false-twisting tube, and whichare magnetically connected with each other by ring segments or rings. Ifaccording to a further improvement of this embodiment of the invention,the pole United States Patent M 3,308,514 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 pieceswhich are disposed above and below the driving surface and the rings orring segments which connect them to each other are provided in the formof multipolar magnets which are equally spaced peripherally from eachother, it is very easily possible to drive two or more twisting tubes bymeans of the same driving element and to make the entire unit of a verycompact construction.

According to another advantageous modification of the invention, thedriving surfaces may be designed so as to extend between the pole piecesand the false-twisting tubes. The lateral parts of the drive wheel whichform the driving surfaces are then preferably made of a smaller wallthickness than the central parts. This has the advantage of considerablyimproving the inherent stability of the driving surface which passesthrough the gap between the magnet and the false-twisting tubes.

In many cases it will be sufficient if at least one of the pole pieceswhich act upon the false-twisting tubes may be pivoted coaxially to thedriving element. It is, however, also possible to mount the magnets on ahousing which surrounds the driving element. The housing may in thiscase support the bearings of the driving element.

In order to insure that the false-twisting tubes will be held in aposition in which they will run true, that is, in a position in whichtheir axes will extend exactly parallel to the axis of the drivingelement, it is a further feature of the invention to provide suitablemeans for adjusting or varying the contact pressures which are producedby the magnets. The pole pieces facing the falsetwisting tubes mayfurthermore be provided with a protective covering in order to protectthese tubes from being worn by friction or damaged in any other mannerin p the event that, when being inserted into the apparatus,

they are improperly applied against the driving element.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more clearly apparent from the following detailed descriptionthereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which- FIGURE 1 shows, partly in cross section which is taken alongthe line I-I of FIGURE 2, a side view of an apparatus according to theinvention for false-twisting individual textile threads by means offalse-twisting tubes, in which the driving element is provided in theform of a drive wheel, the connecting web of which between the hub andthe rim of the wheel is disposed substantially centrally of the width ofthe rim, and in which the radially adjustable arms of the magnet whichact upon and hold the false-twisting tubes in a fixed position relativethereto are mounted above and below the driving element;

FIGURE 2 shows, partly in section, a top view of the apparatus accordingto FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a cross section which is taken along the line IIIIII ofFIGURE 4 of an apparatus according to the invention for acting upon andholding the falsetwisting tubes by means of adjustable pole pieces whichare connected'to each other by rings;

FIGURE 3a show-s a cross section of a modification of the holding meansof the rings;

FIGURE 4 shows a top view of the apparatus according to FIGURE 3 fromwhich the cover is removed;

FIGURE 5 shows a side view, partly in cross section, which is takenalong the line IVIV of FIGURE 6, of an apparatus according to theinvention which is provided with pole pieces at both sides of theconnecting web of I the drive wheel;

FIGURE 6 shows a top view of the apparatus according to FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 shows a side view, partly in cross section which is taken alongthe line V-V of FIGURE 8, of an apparatus according to the invention, inwhich the pole pieces are mounted at both sides of the connecting web ofthe driver wheel; while FIGURE 8 shows a top view of the apparatusaccording to FIGURE 7.

As illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the apparatus according to theinvention for false-twisting individual textile threads compressescomprises a driving element in the form of a wheel 1 which is adapted tobe driven by a pulley 4a, and consists of an outer rim 1a, a hub 10, anda web 1b which connects the rim to the hub of the wheel and is disposedsubstantially centrally of the width of the rim. Rim 1a is provided withdriving surfaces 2 and 2a which are adapted to act upon and drive a pairof falsetwisting tubes 3 at a very high speed. These false-twistingtubes are adapted to be pressed against these driving surfaces 2 and 2aby the magnetic attraction of the pole pieces 5 and 5a which aredisposed above and below the driving surface 2 and 2a of the drive wheel.1, respectively, and project from the arms 5b and 5c of a pair of U-shaped magnets which are secured to a magnet support 6 by screws 7 andsetscrews 7a. Thus, a magnetic circuit may be formed between the poles Nand S of the pole pieces 5 and another magnetic circuit between theantipoles S and N of the pole pieces 5a so as to exert the highestpossible magnetic force upon the false-twisting tubes 3. Eachfalse-twisting tube 3 is provided with a flange 3a which projects intoan annular groove 1d in the rim 1a. The strength of the contact pressurebetween the false-twisting tubes 3 and the driving surfaces 2 and 2a ofthe drive wheel 1 may be easily varied by varying the size of the airgap between the pole pieces 5 and 5a and the false-twisting tubes by asuitable adjustment of the setscrews 7a which may be locked by nuts 7b.

At the left of their center, FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a modificationof the apparatus according to the invention, in which the magnets 35which are located above the driving surface 32 of drive wheel 31 aremagnetically connected to each other by a ring 35a, while the magnets 35which are located underneath the driving surface 32a are magneticallyconnected by a ring 35b. The lower ring 35b is mounted centrally withina bearing housing 39 and adapted to be secured thereto by screws 40.However, since these screws 40 project through elongated slots 39b inthe wall of housing 39, as indicated particularly in FIG- URE 4, it ispossible to turn the ring 35b slightly about the axis of the drive wheel31. The upper ring 35a is centrally mounted on and secured to the cover39a of housing 39. In place of the rings 35a and 35b it is also possibleto employ ring segments or half rings so as to permit the individualmagnets 35 to be adjusted independently of each other. At the right oftheir center, FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate the rings 45a and 45b which arelocated above and below the driving surfaces 32 and 32a, respectively,in the form of annular magnets which are provided with'pole pieces 45which are adapted to conduct the lines of force of the magnets to thefalse twisting tubes 33 in a concentrated or focused form. These annularmagnets may be secured, centered and adjusted in the same manner as therings 35a and 35b at the left side of FIGURES 3 and 4. In place of solidannular magnets, it is also in this case possible to employ magnets inthe form of half rings or ring segments. All of these rings 35a, 35b,45a and 45b or the corresponding ring segment or half rings may also beheld by special magnet holders 36, as illustrated in FIGURE 3a. Such amagnet holder 36 and the outwardly projecting part 49 which is thenrequired are also indicated diagrammatically in dot-and-dash lines atthe right side of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a further modification of the invention inwhich the drive wheel 51 is provided with a strong web 51b whichconnects its hub to the outer rim substantially symmetrically to thecentral plane of the web. The rim of drive wheel 51 is provided withouter driving surfaces 52 and with inner connecting parts 52a whichincrease in thickness between the thin cylindrical lateral parts 52b andthe web 51b. Drive wheel 51 is secured to a shaft 53 which is driven bya pulley 53a. The false-twisting tubes 54 are pressed by the magneticattraction of the pole pieces 55 and 55a against the driving surfaces 52of driving wheel 51. These pole pieces 55 and 55a are secured to rings56 and 56a which consist of a magnetizable material. The magneticcircuit of the pole pieces of the magnets which are spaced by air gapsfrom the false twisting tubes extends through the brackets 57. The upperring 56 is adapted to be turned slightly about the axis of the driveshaft 53. For this purpose, the upper arms of brackets 57 are providedwith slots 57a through which the mounting screws 57b project. Brackets57 are secured to a supporting plate 58 which consists of Bakelite oraluminum and may carry a cupshaped housing 58a, as indicated indot-and-dash lines, which is provided with apertures 58b for attendingto the false-twisting tubes 54 and with projecting parts 580 forreceiving the brackets 57. The supporting plate 58 is held by thebearing housing 59 on the bearing rail 60. The particular shape of theouter rim of the drive wheel clearly indicates that its lateral parts52b may be made very thin without danger that the inherent stability ofthe driving surfaces will be aifected, since the distance between thelateral parts 52b from the reinforced central parts 52a and from thevery strong connecting web 51b is very small in comparison with theconventional cupshaped driving elements of a uniformly low thickness. Itis also possible without reducing the solidity of the rim to divide thedriving surfaces 52 at the center by providing a groove 52c asillustrated in FIGURE 5. The particular shape of the drive wheel 51 alsopermits the magnets to be mounted so as to save considerably in spaceand render the apparatus very small and compact. The magnets 55 whichare disposed opposite to each other at both sides of the drive wheel 51may then be mounted in a position so as to be very close to theconnecting web 51b if the latter is provided with magnetically repellentcoatings or if thin, magnetically repellent disks are inserted betweenthe magnets and the connecting web.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate an apparatus according to a furthermodification of the invention. The driving surfaces 72 are againprovided on the outer rim of a drive wheel 71 which is connected by aweb 71b to the hub of the wheel which is secured to the shaft 73. Thisshaft 73 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 79 and 79a which aresecured within the housing 78 on the bottom wall thereof and on itscover 780. The magnets 75 and 75a carry blocks 75b which are securedthereto, for example, by gluing, and are provided with cylindricalprojections 750 which project into corresponding bores in the annularplates 76 and 76a. The blocks 75b and thus also the magnets 75 and 75aare secured to the annular plates 76 and 76a by means of screws 75dwhich consist of a nonmagnetizable material, for example, brass or ofV-4A steel. When screws 75d are loosened, magnets 75 and 75a may,however, be adjusted to different positions by being turned about theaxes of screws 75d so as to permit the direction of the action of themagnetic forces to be varied or shifted. This may even be done while theapparatus is in operation.

The magnetic circuit is closed via the false-twisting tubes 74. Thehousing 78 is provided with windows 78b 'for the false twisting tubes74, and by means of flanges, not shown, on its supporting wall 78a thehousing 78 is mounted on bearing rails which usually extendlongitudinally through the entire machine. The cover 780 is rigidlysecured to the housing 78 by screws so that the bearings 79 and 79a willalways be in proper alignment with. each other. While the drive pulley73a is illustrated in FIGURE 7 as being located underneath the bottom ofhousing 78, it may, of course, also be located on the upper side of theapparatus.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto the preferred embodiment thereof, I wish to have it understood thatit is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but iscapable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim 1. An apparatusfor false-twisting individual textile threads comprising at least onefalse-twisting tube, a drive shaft, means for driving said shaft, adrive wheel mounted on said shaft and having a hub, an outer rim, and aconnecting web securing said hub to said rim and being disposedsubstantially centrally of the width of said rim, the peripheral outersurface of said rim forming a driving surface adapted to engage with andto rotate said tube at a high speed, and at least one magnet for holdingsaid tube in engagement with said driving surface and in a fixedposition relative to said magnet merely by magnetic attraction of saidmagnet and for thus preventing said tube from shifting in tangentialdirections on said drive wheel.

2. An apparatus for false-twisting textile threads comprising at leastone false-twisting tube, a drive shaft, means for driving said shaft, adrive wheel mounted on said shaft and having a hub, an outer rim, and aconnecting web securing said hub to said rim and being disposedsubstantially centrally of the width of said rim, the peripheral outersurface of said rim forming a driving surface adapted to engage with androtate said tube at a high speed, at least one magnet having a pluralityof pole pieces mounted axially adjacent to said driving surface of saiddrive wheel and being adapted to act directly upon said tube for holdingsaid tube in engagement with said driving surface and in a fixedposition relative to said pole pieces merely by the magnetic attractionof said pole pieces and for thus preventing said tube from shifting intangential directions on said drive wheel.

3. An apparatus for false-twisting individual textile threads comprisinga plurality of false-twisting tubes, a drive shaft, means for drivingsaid shaft, a drive wheel mounted on said shaft and having a hub, anouter rim, and a connecting web securing said rim to said hub and beingdisposed substantially centrally of the width of said rim, theperipheral surface of said rim forming a driving surface adapted toengage with and to rotate said tubes at a high speed, and at least twomagnets each having an at least partly annular shape and mounted aboveand below said driving surface, respectively, and each having aplurality of pole pieces thereon equally spaced peripherally from eachother for holding said tubes in engagement with said driving surface andin a fixed position relative to said pole pieces merely by the magneticattraction of said magnets and pole pieces and for thus preventing saidtubes from shifting in tangential directions on said drive wheel, atleast one of said pole pieces of each of said magnets being associatedwtih one of said tubes.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which said pole pieces arespaced by gaps from said tube, said driving surfaces on said rimextending at least into said gaps.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, in which said rim has oppositelydisposed outermost wall portions and central wall parts adjacent to saidweb, and the Wall thickness of said outermost portions of said rim aresmaller than the wall thickness of said central parts thereof.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, in which at least one of saidpole pieces which are adapted to act upon said tube may be adjusted todifferent positions by being turned about the axis of said drive wheel.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a housingsurrounding said drive wheel, said at least one magnet being mounted onsaid housing at the inside thereof.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising bearings forsaid shaft, said bearings also being mounted on said housing.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means foradjusting said magnet relative to said tube for varying the forces ofattraction of said magnet upon said tube.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising a protectivecovering on said pole pieces at least at the parts thereof facing saidtube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,058,289 10/1962Raschle 57-77.3 3,059,408 10/1962 Hippe et a1. 57-77.45 3,115,74312/1963 Brodtmann 57-77.45 3,142,953 8/1964 Gassner et al. 5777.453,180,074 4/1965 Smith 5777.45 3,232,037 2/1966 Crouzet 5777.45

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,268,325 6/1961 France. 1,362,081 4/1964 France.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner. D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FALSE-TWISTING INDIVIDUAL TEXTILE THREADS COMPRISINGAT LEAST ONE FALSE-TWISTING TUBE, A DRIVE SHAFT, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAIDSHAFT, A DRIVE WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A HUB, AN OUTERRIM, AND A CONNECTING WEB SECURING SAID HUB TO SAID RIM AND BEINGDISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OF THE WIDTH OF SAID RIM, THEPERIPHERAL OUTER SURFACE OF SAID RIM FORMING A DRIVING SURFACE ADAPTEDTO ENGAGE WITH AND TO ROTATE SAID TUBE AT A HIGH SPEED, AND AT LEAST ONEMAGNET FOR HOLDING SAID TUBE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVING SURFACE ANDIN A FIXED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID MAGNET MERELY BY MAGNETICATTRACTION OF SAID MAGNET AND FOR THUS PREVENTING SAID TUBE FROMSHIFTING IN TANGENTIAL DIRECTIONS ON SAID DRIVE WHEEL.